Les transformations de Mario : chronologie des métamorphoses

Mario's transformations: a chronology of metamorphoses

1309 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

GuideTransformationsItems & powers

From the 1985 Super Mushroom to Wonder's elephant, forty years of metamorphoses. This timeline walks through Mario's transformations game by game: the Super Mushroom and the Fire Flower in 1985, the Raccoon, Tanooki, Frog and Hammer suits from Super Mario Bros. 3, the Cape from Super Mario World, then the power-ups of the 64, New Super Mario Bros. and Galaxy eras.

For more than 35 years, Mario has not just been a bouncing plumber: he is a chameleon of video games. Thanks to a host of transformations – suits, items, powers – he has adapted his gameplay to the most varied worlds. From the Fire Flower to the Super Crown, from the cape to the elephant form, every Nintendo console generation has brought its share of innovations. Here is a complete timeline of his most memorable transformations.

Contents

1985 – Super Mario Bros. (NES)

  • Super Mushroom: makes Mario grow and lets him take one hit
  • Fire Flower: lets Mario throw fireballs

Two iconic transformations right from the very first game, laying the foundations of item-driven gameplay.

1988 (Japan) – Super Mario Bros. 3

  • Raccoon Suit: glides and attacks with his tail
  • Tanooki Suit: adds the invincible statue ability
  • Frog Suit: swims far better
  • Hammer Bro Suit: throws hammers

The first game to offer a wide variety of suits, each tied to a specific mechanic.

1990 (Japan) – Super Mario World

  • Cape (Cape Feather): lets you fly and glide with precision

The cape quickly became iconic, offering unprecedented vertical freedom.

1996 – Super Mario 64

  • Metal Cap: invincibility, extra weight, walking underwater
  • Wing Cap: lets you fly after a triple jump or a cannon launch

The transformations flat-out change Mario's physics in an open world.

2006 – New Super Mario Bros.

  • Mega Mushroom: giant Mario, smashes everything
  • Mini Mushroom: tiny Mario, higher jumps, runs on water

The gameplay plays with scale, opening up new possibilities.

2007 – Super Mario Galaxy

  • Bee Mario: flies briefly and clings to surfaces
  • Boo Mario: passes through walls and floats
  • Spring Mario: bounces very high, hard to control
  • Fire Mario (temporary)

Here the transformations embrace gravity and the planets.

2009 – New Super Mario Bros. Wii

The elemental powers now specialize to match each biome.

2010 – Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • Cloud Mario: creates clouds to move through the air
  • Rock Mario: a destructive stone boulder

The new forms tighten the puzzle link between transformation and level design.

Mario rides a balloon-inflated Yoshi in space
Blimp Yoshi, one of the metamorphoses introduced by Super Mario Galaxy 2 in 2010.

2012 – New Super Mario Bros. U

  • Flying Squirrel Mario: glides and clings to walls

Inspired by the cape and the raccoon: a suit perfect for vertical play.

2013 – Super Mario 3D World

  • Cat Mario: climbs, claws and runs on all fours

A transformation that instantly became iconic thanks to its fluid handling.

2015 – Super Mario Maker

  • Mystery Mushroom: 8-bit Mario turns into various Nintendo heroes

A purely cosmetic transformation, but adored for its fan service.

2017 – Super Mario Odyssey

Mario no longer uses fixed suits; thanks to Cappy, he captures enemies and objects:

  • T-Rex, Goomba, Bullet Bill, electricity, frog, and more.

Each capture changes the gameplay in a radical and creative way.

2023 – Super Mario Bros. Wonder

  • Elephant Fruit: hulking Mario, powerful trunk, stores water
  • Bubble Flower: traps enemies in bouncy bubbles
  • Drill Mushroom: lets you burrow through floors and ceilings

Recent transformations with experimental and humorous gameplay.

The most iconic transformations

  • Fire Mario – the classic icon
  • Tanooki Mario – shorthand for the NES era
  • Caped Mario – a vivid SNES memory
  • Cat Mario – beloved vertical handling
  • Elephant Mario – a recent phenomenon already iconic
  • Cloud Mario – the speedrunners' favorite

Quick recap

Topic Mario's transformations across the games
First transformations Super Mushroom and Fire Flower (Super Mario Bros., 1985)
Standout SMB3 suits Raccoon, Tanooki, Frog, Hammer Bro (1988, Japan)
Super Mario World transformation Cape (Cape Feather), to fly and glide (1990, Japan)
Odyssey's system No more fixed suits: Cappy captures enemies and objects (2017)
Wonder's new power-ups Elephant Fruit, Bubble Flower, Drill Mushroom (2023)
Iconic forms mentioned Fire Mario, Tanooki, Caped, Cat, Elephant, Cloud

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FAQ

  • What are Mario's very first transformations?
    The Super Mushroom, which makes him grow and lets him take a hit, and the Fire Flower, which lets him throw fireballs. Both appear in Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985).
  • What does the Cat Mario transformation do?
    Introduced in Super Mario 3D World (2013), Cat Mario can climb, claw and run on all fours. It quickly became iconic for its fluid handling.
  • How does Mario transform in Super Mario Odyssey?
    In Odyssey (2017), Mario no longer uses fixed suits: with Cappy he captures enemies and objects (T-Rex, Goomba, Bullet Bill, and so on), which radically changes the gameplay.
  • Which transformations show up in Super Mario Bros. Wonder?
    The Elephant Fruit (a hulking Mario with a trunk that can store water), the Bubble Flower (traps enemies in bubbles) and the Drill Mushroom (lets you burrow through floors and ceilings). The game came out in 2023.
  • Which game first offered a wide variety of suits?
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 in Japan), with the Raccoon, Tanooki, Frog and Hammer Bro suits, each tied to a specific mechanic.

Conclusion

Mario's transformations are far more than bonuses: they reflect the limitless imagination of Nintendo. Generation after generation, they reinvent the way you approach levels, enemies and exploration. From hero, Mario turns at will into an acrobat, cat, bee or elephant: a true gameplay museum… in the open air.

The power-up guide

Mushrooms, flowers, stars, suits and collectibles: our guide reviews everything Mario picks up.

⭐ All the power-ups and items →
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